January 2011 Archives

Transitions for parents, college students, and baby boomers require us to review and assess what matters now.  During a telephone group chat, the number one drop on keeping dreams alive was there was no support.

Beauty doesn't give up.  It shifts and looks dead but not to be trite, you know there is still life in those roots of winter.

Who is there for your happiness? If you are starting over with friendships or partners and your vase is empty, reach for websites that have free forums.  Say what you need and ask for what you want.  It is a safe place to practice being in touch with what you want and talking about your dreams so they don't die. You are welcome to join my free community support, www.emptynestsupport.com/message board

As some of you know, I persevere because I love what I do and communication
is my passion. I don't fear speaking up for what I love.  

For one dream I had, which was to present a workshop for a week at a resort and spa, I made twelve contacts to the director before I got  a yes.  My passion was bigger than my fear.  What passion could carry you to the dream?  A dream is also a feeling, for example, wanting to feel vibrant or happy.  Use POST IT SIGNS to remind you of your dream.  Let your eyes catch that dream and then hear yourself say, YES I WANT THAT.

Simple steps work.  I want that sounds so small.  It lifts your energy and the ways of getting it will unfold for you. You will get your next idea of what to do to make it come closer to you.  Trust.  Keep the vision in front of you daily. Tell people your dream and ask for their support, for example a text from them, an email. You would do it for them.

What puts the brakes on your dreams?
Share with us.
Natalie
Natalie@emptynestsupport.com
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February - Los Angeles, CA
March - Boulder, Colorado
April - St George, Utah
May - Mexico (just outside of San Diego)
June - Philadelphia, PA
July - Los Angeles, CA
October - Mexico (just outside of San Diego)

 

The mourning of the Tucson tragedy affects each of us uniquely as memories of loss and fears of loss surface.  None of us knows when deep sorrow puts the brakes on our lives as we knew it. Comfort yourself, comfort others. Sit face to face with what you love. Let yourself be the playful child and jump in puddles.  One of the stories that stays with me over the years of my work is a mother who said, "I watch my children play and I don't jump in."

What in your life might you jump into?

Take good care,

Natalie

I love new beginnings but Boomers and Empty Nesters have expressed to me they worry as they enter the NEW.

Worry is just one color, one sound, in a full orchestra of a self. Who hasn't felt worried and out of control?

Let worry express and then move.  "I am not going to think about that now. I am going to think about (fill in the blank). I have been thinking about.....all day and I am sick of, sick of.  For some people when they express and they say, I AM NOT GOING TO THINK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW, it shifts them.

It is like saying, STOP IT, to a needy person who can't stop themselves.
That doesn't work for everyone.  Feeling what you feel, becoming aware of it, and reminding yourself of your values is a good thing. The value of treating yourself with KINDNESS, wins. 

Feelings aren't monsters nor are your worry thoughts the all of YOU.  You forget that.

Feel what you feel and move.

Move means get up if you are sitting.

Look at what is in your eye view.  Look again. I am looking at a photo, which I will add to this blog, of a sunflower in my office. Some petals are folded.  I like the center green.  The point of looking at something is to re-fresh, to give yourself a shift, look and say what you see.

It gets you here and not behind you or too far ahead of you.  Present moment.
You aren't your worry.  It is a part of you and not the ALL of you, which you know, yet worry can be consuming, so remind yourself.  "there is more to me than this worry, my need right now is to (fill in the blank).  You may need to stand, sit, make a phone call, get in the car, make an appointment.

Allow yourself ten minutes a day to chat with YOU about what you love about yourself and one other person. A client practiced this and helped her.

Initially she said, "I can't think of another person today that I love."  We decided it could be someone she doesn't know but she admires them for what she does know of them, the persona of that person. 

Over the years of working with people, I notice they focus more on what they think they need to fix and they feel out of control, they worry.  The opposite of worry for you could be the practice of TRUST.  Find memories when you did trust yourself and speak them to YOU.  

They can be the example which might be a time when you decided not to go see a friend and instead do something just for you and how that affected you in a positive way or how you decided to say YES to something that in the past you would have said No Thanks.

Happy 2011
May it surprise you in joyous ways and open you to parts of yourself you haven't met. Stay curious and compassionate.  Comfort yourself by a warm fire in the winter breeze.

Natalie

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natalie@emptynestsupport.com